Vanity box



Jan. 21, 1930., P. A. REUTTER VANITY BOX Filed 001;. 9, 1328 PatentedJan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE' PHILIP A. REUTTER, OFW'A'IEBBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR '10 SCOVILL MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY,OF WATER-BURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECT- ICUT VANITY BOXApplication filed October a, 1928.

This invention relates to improvements in vanity boxes or cases, andparticularly to an improved means for holding a cosmetic compact orother toilet article in the case.

These small boxes or cases which have now become known in the art asvanity cases, are usually made of light metal and are arranged to carrycosmetic, such as rouge or powder compacts, and a mirror. In certain ofthese vanity cases, it is desirable that the powder compact be securelyheld in the case, so that it will not become accidentally displacedduring use, and it is further desirable that the compact be so held thatit can be readily removed from the case, so that a fresh or new compactcan be inserted therein.

It is the special object of the present invention to provide an improvedcompact holding means for locking the compact in place,

but which may be readily manipulated by a 4 suitable tool, such as apin, to free the compact, so that it can be removed from the case forrenewal.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a compact holdingdevice which shall be simply formed, and, therefore, cheap andeconomical to manufacture, and which can be. easily and quicklypositioned in the case so as to effect ready assembly.

A further object of the invention is to utilize the compact holdingdevice as part of a hinged member for pivotally uniting the body of thecase with a cover.

With these and other objects not specifically referred to in view, theinvention consists in certain novel parts, arrangements and combinationswhichwill be described in connection with the accompanying drawings andthe novel features pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

Referring now to said drawings:

Fig. 1 is an edge view of a closed vanity box or case with which theinvention may be used.

Fig. 2 is a face View of the case shown in Fig. 1, the parts being shownopen.

Fig. 3 is a central sectional View, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fi 4 is a detail sectional View, taken on line Z Q: of 1; and.

Serial No. 311,277.

Fig. 5 is a plan view ofone part of the compact holder.

Referring now to these drawings- The invention is designed for and iscapable of use with vanity boxes or casesof widely varying forms. Thebox or case selected to illustrate the invention, however, is a thinedgedbox of light metal, including a body 1 to which is pivotallyattached a cover 2 by a hinge 3 hereinafter referred to. In theparticular case illustrated, the body 1 is of shallow dish-shape, and iscapacitated to hold a cosmetic shown in the form of a powdercalre 1,molded into a tray 5 having a narrow peripheral flange 6. The cover 2,in the case illustrated, is also of shallow dish-shape, being ofslightly less diameter than the body 1, and this cover is alsocapacitated to hold a toilet article, shown as a mirror 7.

In accordance with the invention, a compact holding device of simpleform is shown for removably holding the compact in place;

furthermore, dimensioned, when sprung into place, to occupy the entirecircumference of the bead; the ends of these wires abutting,asindicatedat 12, in Fig. 2. Each of these wires and at opposite endsthereof, is provided with a projection arranged to extend in over thecompact, such projections being marked 18, 14. Such projections areeasily produced by stamping or swaging the metal of the wire. Byinserting a pin or like tool behind the wire, one of these wires, as 9,may be readily removed from the box, so as to release the compact, andas readily replaced after a new compact has been put in position in thecase.

WVhile the hinged construction for pivotally uniting the body and coverof the box may be {if any desired. form, in aeeerdanee with .tioned inone of the members,

the present invention, one of the compact holding wires is utilized forthis purpose, the wire 8, in the particular instance illustrated, beingso used. Cooperating with this wire to. form the hinge, is a hingedknuckle 15 formed by turning over a projection formed on the cover ofthe box, the clear end of the wire 8 being passed through the knuckle soformed and hinging the cover and the body together. This hinged knuckleis dimensioned so as to form, in effect, a continuation of the bead,thus producing a neat appearing box, the knuckle seating in a recess,indicated at 16, in Fig. 2.

The mirror 7 may be held in position in the cover in any suitablemanner, as by means of a bezel 17 sprung into place in the cover 2.

The cover and the back may be held together by means of a spring latch,indicated I at 18, conveniently located in the cover of the box, thelocking member of this latch en gaging under the flange 11 of the bodyat a point opposite the hinge. If desired, or necessar the wire 9 may becut away, as indicated at 19, in Fig. 4, to permit this engage ment ofthe spring catch and the flange.

It will be observed that with the construction shown and described, avery simple and at the same time effective construction has beenprovided for holding a compact in place, and one which is cheap to makeand easy to assemble. Vhile the compact holding projections are shown asformed at the ends of the wire, it will be understood that they can beformed at other points thereof. It will also be understood that springmetal other than round wire may be employed, it desired, and that thecompacting holding devices may be used in a large variety of vanitycases or boxes. The invention is, therefore, not to be limited to thecase or to the exact construction of the holding devices shown anddescribed.

hat is claimed is:

1. In a vanity case, the combination of metal body and cover members,one of these parts having a hinged knuckle formed by turning over themetal of the part, and the other having an edge opening into which theknuckle fits, and compact holding means including two similar wires eachof which has a lateral projection arranged to overlie a compact in oneof the members, and the other of which forms the pintle, one of themembers having a flange under which the wires are held, the wiresextending completely around the member and the ends of the wiresabutting.

2. In a vanity case, the combination of body and cover members, acompact, posiand a eompactholding device including two similar strips ofspring metal each of which has a lateral holding projection, the stripsbeing held in the case by the spring of the metal and with their ends inabutting relation.

3. In a vanity case, the combination of body and cover members, acompact positioned in one of the members, and a compact holding deviceincluding a pair of similar spring wires each oi which is formed with acompact holding projection, the ends of said wires abutting when inposition in the case, and one of the wires forming a pintle for hingedlyconnecting the body and the cover.

1-. In a vanity case, the combination of body and cover members, acompact positioned in one of the members, and a compact holding deviceincluding two similar spring wires each of which has its end swaged. toform a lateral holding projection, the wires being held in the case bythe spring of the metal and with their ends abutting.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

PHILIP A. REUTTER.

